New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrapped up his quickie pre-election tour of Israel Thursday with an armored car escort of tunnels Hamas terrorists had dug with the aim of mass slaughter of Jews at a kibbutz near the Gaza border.
Cuomo has enjoyed five-star hospitality from Israel in appreciation of his solidarity trip. He said that Hamas is an enemy of New York just like it is of Israel.
Like most Americans who see Israel thought the lens of CNN or the photos in The New York Times showing IDF soldiers and dead Gazans, the governor and his delegation really didn’t understand the extent of the sophistication of the tunnels.
“Reading media accounts back home, you’d think these were a few yards of dirt you could crawl through,” said State Senate co-leader Dean Skelos. “These are sophisticated tunnels intended to kill.”
Terrorists intended to use the tunnel at Kibbutz Eini HaShlosha to kill and kidnap residents of the community. The delegation saw the electric wiring that lined the tunnel, built with cement, a “dual-purpose) material that the world has assumed was used for housing people and not for rockets and terrorists.
One of the tunnels that the delegation toured was 130 feet below ground, while another one was only 14 feet underground.
“You see those tunnels and you are reminded of how aggressive and tenacious the enemy is,” Cuomo said. “There are miles and miles of tunnels. These are concrete reinforced … The tunnels are an entirely new development and a frightening one.”
Cuomo met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and told him, “You are going through a very difficult time. That is precisely why we wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel. We pray for peace. We stand with you in defense.”
The governor also toured Christian sites but not the Muslim Dome of the Rock, and explained that there simply was not enough time.
“You can’t make every gesture on every trip. We are using every available moment,” he said. “Everyone does have a role in peace and the Muslim community has … a role at the table.”
Even if really wanted to visit, it is not certain that police would have allowed him to do so considering the daily mobs of Muslims who harass and chase away Jews. A visit by non-Jew who solidly supports Israel would be waving a red flag at the Temple Mount.
On the other hand, it’s too bad he couldn’t see for himself what would happen if he dared to bring an Israel flag or carrying a Bible while ascending the Temple Mount.